Method of Controlling By-Products or Pollutants from Fuel Combustion

Abstract

The invention provides a method of controlling by-products or pollutants from fuel combustion, comprising corn-busting a fuel containing a dispersion, the dispersion comprises: (a) a mixture of at least two metal bases, wherein each metal of the metal bases has an average oxidation state of (+2) or higher, (b) at least one surfactant; and (c) at least one organic medium, wherein the metal bases are uniformly dispersed in the organic medium.

1 . A method of controlling by-products or pollutants from fuel combustion, comprising combusting a fuel containing a dispersion, the dispersion comprises: (a) a mixture of at least two metal bases, wherein each metal of the metal bases has an average oxidation state of about (+2) or higher, (b) at least one surfactant; and (c) at least one organic medium, wherein the metal bases are uniformly dispersed in the organic medium. 
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the average oxidation state of each metal base ranges from about (+2) to about (+4), or from about (+2) to about (+3). 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal base comprises oxides, carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides sulphonates, carboxylates, or mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture of at least two metal bases comprises:
 (i) a first metal base containing a metal selected from the group consisting of iron, magnesium, calcium and mixtures thereof;   (ii) a second metal base containing a metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, cerium, iron, copper, chromium, and mixtures thereof, with the proviso that the first metal base is different from the second metal base; and   (iii) optionally another metal base other than the metal base of (i) or (ii).   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first metal base is present at greater than about 50 wt % of the total weight of metal base present; and the second metal base is present at less than about 50 wt % of the total weight of metal base present. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first metal base is present at greater than about 75 wt % of the total weight of metal base present; and the second metal base is present at less than about 25 wt % of the total weight of metal base present. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dispersion has the metal base present in the range from about 25 wt % to about 80 wt %, or from about 35 wt % to about 70 wt % of the dispersion. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal base has a mean particle size in the dispersion ranging from about 20 nanometres to less than about 1 μm. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant has a hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) ranging from about 1 to about 40. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant comprises at least of hydrocarbyl substituted aryl sulphonic acids, a polyolefin-substituted acylating agent, or salixarenes. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dispersion comprises: (a) 40-65 wt % of a metal base; (b) 5-25 wt % of a surfactant; and (c) an organic medium in which the metal base is dispersed. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel comprises a liquid fuel, a solid fuel, or mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the by-products or pollutants from fuel combustion comprise two or more properties from modified sulphur oxide emissions, modified nitrogen oxide emissions, modified particulate matter production, modified vanadate production or mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       14 . A method of controlling by-products or pollutants from fuel combustion, comprising combusting a fuel containing a dispersion, the dispersion comprises: (a) a mixture of at least three metal bases, wherein each metal of the metal bases has an average oxidation state of (+2) or higher, (b) at least one surfactant; and (c) at least one organic medium, wherein the metal bases are uniformly dispersed in the organic medium. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the mixtures of at least three metal bases comprise:
 (i) a first metal base contains a metal selected from the group consisting of iron, magnesium, calcium and mixtures thereof;   (ii) a second metal base contains a metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, cerium, iron, copper, chromium, and mixtures thereof, with the proviso that the first metal base is different from the second metal base; and   (iii) at least one other metal base, wherein the metal of the metal base is selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium, cerium, iron, copper, chromium, barium, platinum, lead, manganese, strontium, and mixtures thereof, with the proviso that the third metal base is a different from the metal base already employed in (i) and (ii).   
   
   
       16 . A composition comprising: (i) a fuel; and (ii) a dispersion, the dispersion comprises: (a) a mixture of at least two metal bases, wherein each metal of the metal bases has an average oxidation state of about (+2) or higher, (b) at least one surfactant; and (c) at least one organic medium, wherein the metal bases are uniformly dispersed in the organic medium. 
   
   
       17 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein the dispersion comprises at least three metal bases. 
   
   
       18 . The composition of  claim 16  further comprising at least other performance additive selected from the group consisting of metal deactivators, detergents, dispersants, friction modifiers, corrosion inhibitors, antioxidants, foam inhibitors, demulsifiers, pour point depressants, seal swelling agents, biocides, anti-foulants, flow improvers, cold flow improvers, and mixtures thereof 
   
   
       19 . A dispersion comprising: (a) a mixture of at least three metal bases, wherein each metal of the metal bases has an average oxidation state of about (+2) or higher, (b) at least one surfactant; and (c) at least one organic medium, wherein the metal bases are uniformly dispersed in the organic medium. 
   
   
       20 . The use of a dispersion in a fuel for the reduction of by-products or pollutants formed from fuel combustion, wherein the dispersion comprises: (a) a mixture of at least two metal bases, wherein each metal of the metal bases has an average oxidation state of about (+2) or higher, (b) at least one surfactant; and (c) at least one organic medium, wherein the metal bases are uniformly dispersed in the organic medium.